Food slicing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus usable in slicing food. The apparatus includes a cutting board, and a pair of laterally spaced side walls having formed therein a pair of laterally spaced guide slots for guiding a cutting blade in a planar region which extends to the surface of the cutting board and is perpendicular thereto. A support member having a pair of opposed parallel planar faces is mountable on the board in either of two orientations wherein one or the other of the faces confronts the planar region and is spaced therefrom a distance which is different in each orientation. A brace supportable on the board at an inclined position engages one side of a food article to be sliced, to clamp the same between the brace and the selected face of the support member.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to apparatus for slicing food, and inparticular to apparatus for slicing bread, rolls, and the like.

One object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for slicingrolls or the like, wherein the food article to be sliced may be anchoredduring slicing.

Another object is to provide such apparatus which may also be adaptedfor slicing a loaf of bread or the like.

A further object is to provide such apparatus usable in slicing foodarticles to produce different selected slice thicknesses.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such apparatus whichis durable and attractive in appearance.

The apparatus of the invention includes a cutting board having attachedthereto a pair of laterally spaced side walls. Formed in these walls aretwo laterally spaced guide slots for guiding a cutting blade in a planarregion which extends to the surface of the cutting board, and issubstantially perpendicular thereto. A support member having a pair ofopposed parallel planar faces is removably mounted on the board ineither of two orientations wherein one or the other of the two facesconfronts the planar region and is spaced therefrom a distance which isdifferent in each orientation. A brace mountable on the board at aninclined position engages one side of an article to be sliced, to anchorthe same between the brace and the selected face of the support member.

These and other objects and features of the present invention willbecome more fully apparent when considered with the following detaileddescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention and theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention, shown here beingused in slicing a bagel.

FIG. 2 is a plan view, on a larger scale taken generally along line 2--2in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, taken generally along line 3--3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view similar to FIG. 2, but with the deviceshown prepared for cutting a different slice thickness.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Looking now at the figures, and first at FIGS. 1-3, there is showngenerally at 10, slicing apparatus usable in slicing food articles suchas bagels, rolls, bread and the like. Apparatus 10 generally includes anelongate cutting board 12 having an upper surface 14 on which an articleto be sliced, such as the bagel indicated at 16, is supported. A pair oflaterally spaced side walls 18, 20 attached to opposed edges of board12, provide a pair of upright, laterally spaced guide slots 22, 24 forguiding a cutting blade, such as knife blade 26, in a planar region. Asupport member 28 mountable between walls 18, 20 provides a surfaceagainst which one side of a food article, such as bagel 16, is supportedat a selected distance from the just-described planar region. A brace 30is adapted to be supported on the board, at an inclined angle relativethereto, with the upper portion of the brace contacting a portion of theother side of the food article.

Considering now details of the invention, board 12 is formed preferablyof solid or ply hardwood conventionally used in cutting boards, and isso dimensioned that common sizes of breads, rolls, and the like may bereceived between walls 18, 20. A laterally extending groove 32 (FIGS.2-4) formed in board 12, at a longitudinal position thereon coincidentwith the above-mentioned planar region, extends such planar regionsomewhat below the surface of the board, as can be appreciated withreference to FIG. 3. Also formed in board 12 is notch means including alaterally extending, V-shaped notch 34 longitudinally spaced from groove32, in the direction opposite member 28, for releasably holding thelower edge of brace 30 thereat. Board 12 also provides a handle 31 fromwhich the apparatus may be hung during storage.

Walls 18, 20, which also may be formed of hardwood, are attachedconventionally, adjacent their lower edges in the figures, to opposedside edges of board 12. Slots 22, 24 formed in walls 18, 20,respectively, are dimensioned to receive therein knife blades ofconventional widths. Each slot extends from the upper edge of theassociated wall to the level of the lowermost face of groove 32. Theabove-mentioned planar region, which is defined by slots 22, 24, andgroove 32, is perpendicular to the plane containing surface 14, andextends from the top of walls 18, 20, to a lower edge somewhat belowsurface 14. A pair of upright, laterally spaced grooves 38, 40 areformed in the inwardly facing sides of walls 18, 20, respectively, formounting member 28 therebetween. Grooves 38, 40 are parallel to, andspaced an equal distance from associated slots 22, 24, respectively.

Support member 28, which also may be formed of a block of hardwood,includes a pair of substantially parallel planar faces 42, 44. Thesupport member is notched, along its upright edges adjacent face 42,forming a pair of laterally spaced tongues 46, 48 (FIGS. 2 and 4) whichare dimensioned to be received slidingly within grooves 38, 40.According to an important feature of the present invention, tongues 46,48 are longitudinally asymmetric with respect to faces 42, 44.Accordingly, member 28 may be mounted selectively between walls 18, 20at a first orientation, shown in FIGS. 1-3, wherein face 44 confrontsthe above-described planar region, and is spaced a definedslice-thickness distance therefrom, and in a second orientation, shownin FIG. 4, wherein face 42 confronts the planar region, and is spacedtherefrom a second, lesser slice-thickness distance. In both of thejust-mentioned orientations, the planes containing faces 42, 44 areparallel to the planar region. Grooves 38, 40 in walls 18, 20,respectively, and the support member's tongues 46, 48 which are receivedtherein, are also referred to herebelow as means for mounting member 28releasably on board 12, at one location therealong in such first andsecond orientations.

Brace 30, which also may be formed of a block of hardwood, includesupper and lower faces 48, 50, respectively, and a pair of opposed upperand lower end edges 52, 54, respectively. As seen best in FIG. 3, theplanes containing edges 52, 54 are parallel and substantiallyperpendicular to the planes containing faces 48, 50. A plurality oftriangular shaped notches, such as notches 56 (FIGS. 2 and 3), areformed between edge 52 and face 50, defining therebetween a plurality ofteeth, such as teeth 58, for a purpose to be described. Brace 30 furtherincludes a handle 60 attached to face 48, adjacent edge 52. Withparticular reference to FIG. 3, it can be appreciated that with edge 54supported within notch 34, brace 30 may be pivoted to an inclined anglewherein edge 52, and in particular teeth 58 formed therein, contact theother side of an article, such as bagel 16, whose one side is supportedagainst member 28. With the brace positioned as seen in FIGS. 1-3, itcan be appreciated further that application of a downward force on thebrace, by manual application of force to handle 60, causes teeth 58 tobear into such other article surface, thus anchoring the article betweenthe brace and the support member. Teeth 58 are also referred toherebelow as means for anchoring a side of an article to be sliced tostabilize the article during slicing.

When the apparatus is to be used as a bread slicer, brace 30 is removedfrom the board, and the loaf of bread to be sliced (indicated bydash-dot lines in FIG. 4) is inserted between walls 18, 20, at the leftportion thereof in the figures. Member 28 is then placed in one of itstwo above-described orientations, wherein one of faces 42, 44 confrontsthe board's planar cutting region, at one of two selected distancestherefrom. The right end of the loaf in FIG. 4, is then moved againstthe selected face of member 28, and the loaf is sliced.

To employ the apparatus as a roll, bagel, or bun slicer, member 28 isplace at one of its two above-described orientations, thus establishinga desired slice-thickness and one side of the food article is placedagainst the face of member 28 which confronts the board's planar cuttingregion. Brace 30 is then placed at its inclined position with brace edge54 supported in notch 34 and edge 52--and in particular, the teeth 58thereof--contacting the other side of the article. The person operatingthe apparatus then places one of his hands on handle 60 and applies aslight downward pressure to this handle, thus to anchor the article tobe sliced firmly between the brace and the support member. With thearticle so anchored the user then performs the slicing operation, withknife blade 26 being guided between the two guide slots.

A particular advantage of the present apparatus, which can beappreciated from the foregoing, is that the user, in anchoring a rollduring the slicing thereof, need only apply that much pressure necessaryto hold the roll somewhat stationarily during slicing. Another advantageis that brace 30 may easily. and simply be placed in and out of itsposition of engagement with the roll, thereby facilitating a roll or bunslicing operation.

A slicing apparatus usable to slice different thicknesses of bread,rolls, and like food articles, and in which a roll or bagel may beanchored firmly, for cutting, has been disclosed. Various modificationsand changes may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:
 1. Apparatususable in slicing food articles, comprisingan elongate cutting boardhaving an upper surface on which an article to be sliced is supported,means mounted on said board defining a pair of laterally spaced guideslots for guiding a cutting blade in a planar region which extends atleast to said surface and is substantially perpendicular thereto, asupport member mountable on said board, with a first substantiallyplanar face thereof confronting, and being spaced from and substantiallyparallel to said planar region, for supporting against said face oneside of an article to be sliced, an elongate brace adapted to besupported at one of its end edges on said board, and to contact, at itsother end edge, a portion of the other side of an article whose one sideis supported against said support member, with the brace being inclinedbetween said board and said article, and notch means extending laterallyof said board for removably receiving the brace's said one end edgepivotally therein, to hold the same a fixed distance from said planarregion.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said support member hasfirst and second substantially parallel planar faces, and said apparatusfurther includes means for mounting said member releasably on said boardat one position therealong in a first orientation wherein said firstface confronts, is substantially parallel to, and is spaced a firstdistance from said region, and a second orientation wherein said secondface confronts, is substantially parallel to, and is spaced a second,different distance from said region.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the brace's other end edge includes means for anchoring saidother article side, when a downward force is applied to said brace inits inclined position, to stabilize the article during slicing. 4.Apparatus usable in slicing food articles, comprisingan elongate cuttingboard having an upper surface on which an article to be sliced issupported, a pair of laterally spaced side walls mounted on said boardfor receiving such a supported article therebetween, said walls havingformed therein a pair of upright, laterally spaced guide slots forguiding a cutting blade in a planar region which extends at least tosaid surface and is substantially perpendicular thereto, a supportmember having first and second parallel planar faces, means for mountingsaid member releasably on said board, at one position therealong, in afirst orientation wherein said first face confronts, is substantiallyparallel to, and is spaced a first distance from said region, and asecond orientation wherein said second face confronts, is substantiallyparallel to, and is spaced a second different distance from said region,said faces, when said member is mounted in said first and secondorientations, serving to support thereagainst a side of an article atsuch first and second distances, respectively, from said planar region,an elongate brace adapted to be supported at one of its end edges onsaid board, and to contact, at its other end edge, a portion of theother side of an article whose one side is supported against a selectedface of said member, with the brace being inclined between said boardand said article, wherein application of a downward force to said brace,adjacent the article, serves to anchor the same between said brace andsaid wall member, and notch means formed in said board and extendinglaterally thereof for releasably receiving the brace's said one end edgepivotally therein, to hold the same a fixed distance from said planarregion.